Rome
Rome greeted us with temperatures in the high 30’s and thick humidity after our eight-hour flight. The long cab ride into the city added to our adrenaline as our cab driver simultaneously took notes, read a map, spoke on the phone and wove through traffic. Forty minutes later we were standing on the balcony of our room looking out at the rooftops of an ancient city.
Rome is laid out like a spider’s web of streets and alleys with the Tiber river cutting through the middle giving you some sense of direction. Traffic moves at an alarming speed. Every change of the lights is like the start of a motocross race with a pack of scooters throttling for the lead.
Very crowded
We gathered our wits and a map and we were on our way to tick off as many of the sights as we could before jet lag set in or our two days were up. Rome in the summer is a very crowded place and it made it very hard to get to and then enjoy sites like the Trevi fountain and the Coliseum. We did manage to find some quieter, lesser known churches and streets which gave us the energy to push on to one of the highlights of Rome, the Vatican and, St Peter’s Basilica.
Amazing sight
Truly an amazing sight, the Vatican’s scale and, energy makes you reflect on the ancient history and awesome power of the Catholic church. We were told that the line, which stretched for what looked like a kilometer, was about a three-hour wait. The scorching heat made us look for another way in which was divinely given to us at the end of a less popular exhibit about John Paul II.
Moving upstream
It turns out that the exit of the exhibit and the exit of St. Peter’s merged together and by slowly moving upstream we entered the main foyer of the Basilica. We then casually joined, unnoticed, an entering tour group and we were in! Three hours in line could possibly be worth it because standing in the main hall you can’t help but be overcome by structural and architectural beauty gilt with gold and laden with ancient paintings and statues. Even the surging masses within did not dampen the pleasure of one of the world’s most impressive buildings.
Neglected to eat
Leaving the gates of the Vatican we realized that in our excitement to take in the sights we had neglected to eat, ironic isn’t it? The first day we went to bed on airplane food, a couple of Clif bars and a slice of pizza. Late in the afternoon with only a couple of ridiculously overpriced lattes and water in our stomachs we decided to ignore our hunger until dinner time and enjoy a multi-course meal at an authentic Roman trattoria. With some quick research online back at our hotel, we found the spot and it was within yards of our front door.
Cantina Lucifero
Cantina Lucifero, a long standing family run 30-seat trattoria, seemed to be just what we were looking for. The evening started well, dim lighting, awesome smells and, happy customers. I told the owner I wanted what they do best so he made a few suggestions. First, grilled zucchini and eggplant over melted Piedmont cheese (a small round of which he wouldn’t give us the name) also prosciutto and fresh buffalo mozzarella both perfect in their simplicity and absolutely melt in your mouth.
Secondi
As secondi, we shared an artichoke lasagna (all white sauce, no tomato) that was rich, flavourful and perfectly prepared. The main dishes were beef carpaccio with arugula and slivers of Parmigiano for Nat and I ordered the veal meatballs in a tomato sauce with roast potatoes. The carpaccio arrived and it was delicious but the meatballs never came, instead, the waitress brought me veal pizzaiola.
Out of meatballs
It appeared they had run out of meatballs and they assumed I would be happy with what they brought me adding that she had eaten the same thing for dinner. This meant one thing, I was being served staff meal. Pizzaiola is something I make regularly at home. The one served to me on our last night in Rome was tough, boring and lifeless. An attempt to appease my obvious disappointment (watching me struggle to cut the veal) was made with a Grappa at the end of our meal but the damage was done.
Below is my recipe for steak pizzaiola, you can use veal but sirloin has more flavour. Oregano is the key. Fresh is best but if it’s dry make sure it’s not old and flavourless. Serve it with a green vegetable and roast potatoes or your favourite pasta.
- 2 1/2 inch thick sirloin steaks (rump or inside round will also work)
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 2 Tbsp fresh oregano or 2 tsp dry
- 1 tsp pepperoncini (pepper flakes)
- 1 1/2 cups crushed Hunt’s tomatoes or passata (better brand if available)
- salt & pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- Between two pieces of wax paper or plastic pound the steaks out to 1/4 inch thick.
- Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a large sauté pan heat the olive oil and quickly brown the steaks on both sides.
- Brown them one at a time if necessary and remove to a warm plate.
- In the same hot pan, add the onion and garlic and sauté until they are soft with a little colour.
- Add the wine and reduce by 2/3.
- Add the tomatoes, oregano and pepperoncini.
- Reduce the heat to a low simmer and slide the steaks and any juices back into the pan.
- Spoon the sauce over the beef to cover and let braise for 8 to 12 minutes.
- Adjust seasoning to taste and serve with the sauce spooned over top.
Oh…I need to go back to Rome..I would like a do-over!